'Unfreedom' actress calls lesbian couple ad 'path-breaking'

Actress Preeti Gupta, whose film "Unfreedom" touches upon homosexuality, has come out to support a new advertisement which looks at lesbian relationships in a refreshing way. She says it's a step towards representation of the community in the mainstream media.

Reacting to the advertisement by fashion app Myntra, she said in a statement: "I think it's quite progressive and path-breaking. A lot of people in India have a very biased point of view about the homosexual community, and the fact that the ad shows the lesbian couple as normal women is lovely. It's close to how life really is."

An advertisement for an ethnic apparel brand Anouk for Myntra, now an app-only fashion marketplace, has presented a new facade of homosexuality, looking beyond cliches.

It captures emotions like anxiety and happiness of a lesbian couple before meeting one of the partner's parents, and highlights the change in thinking that has seeped in with time with Indian parents accepting their daughter's sexuality.

Preeti herself took a bold step by choosing to be a part of "Unfreedom", which talks about homosexuality. The film, which is directed by Raj Amit Kumar, was banned in India for its bold scenes.

Preeti notes that the advertisement ignites a hope of change and can be a step forward in breaking stereotypes.

"Before filming 'Unfreedom', when I spoke to many lesbian women, the one thing which was difficult for them was the fact that there was no mainstream media that explored same sex relationships, so there were no references while they were growing up, making them feel like freaks, which they aren't.

"It might give a whole generation an identifiable reference, a representation on mainstream media. And I hope it is the first of many more to come," she added.

The advertisement has created quite a buzz at virtual platforms as well and has garnered positive feedback from various quarters.